Solola Markets

Guatemala Travel Blog

The hive of the city! All activity centered in and around the small square. What a spectacular sight befell us as we turned the corner. An alert awakening of all the senses. The smell of fresh picked produce; a fiesta of colours from the clothing to the food; the many indistinguishable Mayan dialects of the locals all bargaining, selling or carrying on generally excited conversations with friends and neighbours. Our taste buds treated to fresh peas, broadbeans and other vegetables that we found so limited in Mexico.

We felt outsiders in this amazing scene. Standing at least a foot taller than everyone, yet feeling so small and weak with the common sight of the men trotting into the markets with huge sacks of vegetables on their backs. Like the famlands everything looked so neat and organised into defined shapes. Bunches of onions, the brilliant white bulbs and crisp green ends, a disguise for such a flavour; huge round rope sacks full of carrots, advocados, cabbages and potatoes; small brown sacks of freshly peeled broad beans, so smooth and shiny; others with peas, tomatoes, and of course peppers. Other produce including lettuce of varying colours and textures were stacked into small pyramids; winter squash ranging in colour from bright yellow, orange-brown to forest green; buckets of corn niblets and corn cobs, the former the basis of the tortilla. Into the smellier part of the market the meat and fish section. Never an attractive sight for me! Noticed many small dried fish like goldfish and small prawns.

You notice small things, just like I do, when traveling to a new place. The smells, the textures, the colors, the sounds. You must have some Irish in you somewhere!! My husband is clueless and doesn't understand how I can be so passionate about my travels. It's just something that you either "feel" or you don't. That's why I enjoy this website so much; I am finding other people with the same interests as me. A good thing. ~~ Cathey